You can do it!

Some days I wake up thinking, “can I do this another day?” I think most of us do. We tire of the constant struggle to make life work, to overcome sin, to get relationships right, to do our job well, to steer our kids away from delinquency, to …. Well, I think you’re getting my drift. We live against the flow, resisting the tendency to decay that is part of this world. It’s everywhere! Our houses don’t clean themselves. Our cars require constant maintenance. Keeping our marriage healthy demands our daily attention. Even our spiritual life goes cold as a cup of coffee left on the countertop without continual refreshing in worship and wonder!

Sound like a lot of work? It is!

A life of peace, beauty, and holiness does not just happen. We must do spiritual disciplines, resist the Devil’s work, and return often to God. And we know this: we are not in the struggle all by ourselves. The Spirit of God is our Ally, our Source, our Strength! At the end of Romans 11 and into chapter 12, the Word exults about God’s work. Take a look at the passage from The Message –

"Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice?


Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.


So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:
Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 11:33-12:2)

There is no reason for sin to run rampant in our lives any longer. The depravity that once held us captive has been replaced with a new nature, one alive to the will of God, one that rejoices in truth and love. Feed that nature today with worship, with the Word, with cultivated awareness of the Spirit's Presence. And may the beauty of Jesus been seen in you!
Dear Father, please "let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, all His wonderful passion and purity; O, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine, 'til the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.
In the name of my Savior I pray. Amen. (from the song by Albert W.T. Orsbom)

An Enormous Red Dragon

Somebody hates you! Isn’t that a warm, fuzzy thought? It isn’t and yet, it’s true! In the 12th chapter of the Revelation, John uses ‘sign language’ to tell his readers about God’s plan to save His Creation from an evil one who is determined to oppose and destroy all that is good and godly. Many refuse to take John’s vision seriously, dismissing the story as a superstitious tale of a man steeped in the myths of his time. I don’t. John’s words help me to understand the way the world works and to see what’s really going on in the invisible realm that is as real as the one I perceive with my five senses.

John saw an ‘enormous red dragon’ (a picture language symbol) who was poised to destroy the Messiah at his birth, who rebelled against the order of Heaven and was defeated by Michael, the archangel, who was kicked out of the Presence of God, and who now has "had a great fall; He’s wild and raging with anger; he hasn’t much time and he knows it." (Revelation 12:12, The Message) Evil has a name and a personality! "This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." (Revelation 12:9, NLT)

If you think that all the suffering in this world results just from ignorance or human pride, think again. Evil is an organized conspiracy, orchestrated by the Devil, who works through the demon spirits, whose ultimate goal is death and destruction. The Hitlers, Pol Pots, wife-beating husbands, and rebellious teens who hate their parents share a common inspiration – the Devil! When Tiger Woods cheated on his wife, he wasn’t just led astray by an excess of testosterone; he was deceived by lying spirits whose cackles are now heard as his life is in ashes. If we fail to understand this, we risk fighting the wrong battles, trying to solve problems by focusing only on symptoms rather than the real disease. As important as education, eradication of poverty, and behavior modification are in making the world a better place in which to live; they can only accomplish so much. Only Christ Jesus can set us free from slavery to Satan and depravity. Only the Holy Spirit can transform our minds and hearts so that we are able to live whole and holy lives.

While I do not fear Satan or his demons, I have great respect for their power, and so should you. I know that I am safe only because of the sacrifice of Christ that erases my sinfulness and lets the Spirit of God live in me. John says of Believers, "they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony."  (Revelation 12:11, NLT) He alludes to the Exodus story, where the Israeli people who obediently responded in faith by putting the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts escaped the death angel’s judgment. We receive Christ, by faith, and His sacrifice covers us.

Even then, we face the attacks of evil that comes at us through ‘the world, the flesh, and the Devil.’ But, we have a promise of victory! Though we walk in a world ‘with devils filled,’ that ‘threatens to undo us, we will not fear for God has willed His truth to triumph through us.’ (Martin Luther) Here’s a word from the Word. Meditate on it. Let the Truth give you insight into your own behavior and that of those who are around you, then pray to be holy and to be part of the Divine Conspiracy to save Creation!

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.


This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
(1 John 4:4-8, NIV)

_______________

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."
Come, Desire of nations, come!
Fix in us Thy humble home.
Rise, the woman's conqu'ring seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head;
Adam's likeness now efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."

Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Wesley, Charles © Public Domain

Who's Leading You?

Before he entered vocational ministry at the age of 30, my father had a livestock company. Each summer, he traveled to Wyoming to buy lambs for resale to East coast markets. When I was about 6 years old, he took me with him to Wyoming, to a remote area, where we visited shepherds tending huge flocks of sheep! Yes, it's true. There in the mountains near Buffalo, WY, were men who lived alone in little houses on wheels, caring for their sheep 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They were Basque immigrants, from an ancient culture in the Pyrenees Mountains on the border of Spain and France. Their people had a long tradition of being outstanding shepherds. These men, helped only by their amazing dogs, made certain that the sheep in their care were kept safe and provided with pasture. Their constant presence caused those sheep to respond even to their voice! I watched as a single shepherd called his flock, sent his dog to round up stragglers, and moved hundreds of sheep from place to place in open range. It is an amazing memory still vivid in my mind a half century later!

Perhaps you do not know that sheep if left alone on the open range without a shepherd will come to a terrible end! Predators will kill them off, one by one. They will stay in one area, over-grazing the land, until they have exhausted their food supply. Only a well-shepherded flock thrives. People are much like those sheep. We need to be led! Without care, we die. Even if we have all we need right now, without guidance we will get stuck and fail to move ahead in life. Jesus saw the need of the people that he lived with observed, "they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36, NIV) Perhaps that is how you feel today.

Our world is full of people who would ‘shepherd’ us. They call to us, inviting us to follow them.
There are dictators that demand much of us, but return nothing, wanting only to selfishly take from us.
There are deceivers that want to mislead us into destruction, their plans shaped by twisted purposes of evil.
There are those who just yell at us, issuing a confusing lot of directions, noises that leaves us in a whirl of confusion if we try to follow them.

And, there is One Voice that invites us to - "Come, follow me. ... I am the Good Shepherd."
Jesus says, "I am the Gate for the sheep. ... Anyone who goes through me will be cared for-will freely go in and out, and find pasture. ... I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary." (John 10:7-11, The Message) Go back and read that passage again.

"Come, follow me." Will you take Jesus up on His invitation? It's an invitation to adventure, to life that is purposeful and meaningful, and - best of all - to a relationship! He promises that if we follow Him, He will never leave us. He does not promise that we will never be attacked by wolves, go through violent storms, or experience difficult days! But, He promises we won't face those challenges alone. "I'll be there," He says, "caring for you."

Follow the Good Shepherd. Serve Him. Worship Him. Listen to Him. And, you will 'have real and eternal life, more and better life than you ever dreamed.' That's the truth.
Here’s a familiar word from the Word. Don’t rush through it! Savor the promise.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23, NIV)

_____________________


Savior, like a Shepherd lead us;
Much we need Thy tender care.
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us;
For our use Thy folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast bought us; Thine we are.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine; do Thou befriend us;
Be the Guardian of our way.
Keep Thy flock; from sin defend us;
Seek us when we go astray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Hear thy children when they pray;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Hear Thy children when they pray.

Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us
Thrupp, Dorothy A. / Bradbury, William B.
© Public Domain

Needed – a Prince of Peace

Conflict never really stops, does it? With age, my tolerance for conflict has diminished. In the past, I was ready to argue my point strenuously when I thought it necessary. Today, not so much. My inner voice says so often, “Can’t we just get along?” Apparently, we (all human beings) cannot! After 35 years of marriage, Bev and I still occasionally have disagreements over the silliest stuff, though neither of us is willing to fight the way we did 20 years ago! Within the church that I serve there are always simmering issues to be dealt with, some important, some insignificant, but all loaded with the potential to explode into destructive words and actions if not properly resolved and/or managed.

Our American politics are so loaded with conflict, the major parties so polarized that the idea of building consensus is abandoned in favor of raw power plays. Our President, in his speech at the acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize last week, acknowledged his resignation to the concept of the necessity of ‘just’ war, saying that “the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another - that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy.”
Christmas renews our longing for peace and the promise that there will come a day when wars will cease, when hate-filled words will no longer fill the air, when cooperation will emerge from the perfect justice of a righteous King. Isaiah said that One will come who will be called the “Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace.” (9.6)

Conflict among us, be it personal or international, is commonly resolved with power; the one with the most money, soldiers, or leverage, applies pressure and forces compliance to his will. Resolved is not the best word to use. Suppressed would be better. When the vanquished have had time to heal their wounds and gather new allies, conflict resurfaces.

Christ Jesus calls us to peace and to actively work for peace. Are we naïve to hope for it, pray for it, long for it? No! Jesus taught us to pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10, NIV) His kingdom is one of peace announced by angels who said, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14, NIV) Jesus’ mission was one of peace; first reconciling us to God through the offering of Himself, and then calling us to be reconciled to one another through death to Self!

What we fail to understand is that peace is costly. It is purchased with sacrifice, not in battle, but in surrender of Self! That is not the peace message most want to hear. They want a peace with preferential treatment. We all want a peace; be it at home, at work, or for our nation, that protects our privilege and/or our point of view. But, godly peace, true peace is not about winning our way, but gaining the heart and love of another. This is a hard word, isn’t it? We cannot aspire to real peace without a deep assurance that we are held in the hands of a God who is perfectly just, who will bring us into His home where there is peace forevermore.

So, let’s pray for peace and let it begin in me, today.

____________________
O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
And order all things far and nigh;
To us the path of knowledge show
And cause us in her ways to go.

O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home.
The captives from their prison free,
And conquer death's deep misery.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thy justice here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel,
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

O Come O Come Emmanuel

Neale, John M. / Coffin, Henry S. / Helmore, Thomas
© Public Domain

Did you hear the one about two ministers and a rabbi?

On Saturday, I enjoyed the opportunity, a first in my life, to join with a Methodist pastor and a Jewish Rabbi to conduct a wedding! Rabbi Josh is an amazing man, reaching far out the norm and beyond his comfort zone to help a Jewish dad and mom deal with the emotions surrounding their daughter’s choices; first to be baptized as a Christian and them, to marry a Christian man. At their wedding which we celebrated on Saturday, peace and joy reigned during the God-honoring ceremony. And, best of all, I am certain I sensed the smile of my Heavenly Father!

In earlier communications, Rabbi Josh mentioned that many within his tradition are very disparaging of his willingness to reach out in this way. I’m certain that not a few of my own colleagues may consider me misguided in my willingness to do this wedding, too. But, integrity was paramount on Saturday. Instead of each of us diluting his own tradition to try to find some ‘common’ ground, as is so often done in well-intentioned searches for unity; we each held our faith high. I prayed in Jesus’ Name, not be to insensitive, but to remain true to my convictions. Rabbi Josh prayed in Hebrew and read from the Song of Songs, as he wore his prayer shawl. And, yes, I am certain that the Lord smiled!

Might we have found a little way to practice what God speaks of in Psalm 133? There we read,
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Psalm 133, NIV)

The key is peace – be it in religion or family – is ACCEPTANCE, which is not the same as APPROVAL! Do I approve of every tradition of Judaism? Of course not, for I am a Christian. Does Rabbi Josh approve of everything that I believe? Of course not, for he is Jewish. But, we share a common love of humanity and a desire for peace, which allows us to be different and yet to work together to bring joy to a family that is wrestling with change. I don’t have all the answers to the questions raised by this effort, but I know what I felt in that Methodist church was the work of the Spirit of the Lord!
Jesus said that peace-makers would be blessed for they would be called the children of God! (Matthew 5:9) In The Message it reads: “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family."
Mark Batterson, in his new book, Primal, Multnomah, 2009, writes that “Christianity has a perception problem. … The simple fact is that Christians are more known for what we’re against than what we are for. … We’re quick to point out what’s wrong with our culture.” If we are constantly in a combative position, we will find ourselves walled in, unable to reach out to our friends and family with the Great News about the love of Jesus Christ. Are you building walls or bridges?

This Christmas Season, as your extended family gathers, when the goofy uncle shows up, or the parent who stresses you calls to announce her arrival, pray for the gift of making peace, the ability to get past your personal desires, to be a builder of bridges between people. When you feel the urge to criticize or correct, think twice; pray three times, before opening your mouth once! It may be what is needed is a great deal of ACCEPTANCE, that affirms the worth of the person before you attempt to correct what you believe is wrong about them.

Make peace-making a priority: and, if you do this, I believe you will sense the smile of God! Here’s a word from the Word that is our holy calling.
"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (made us peace-makers!)


We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:16-20, NIV)